California Climate Fight Heats Up

The battle over Proposition 23, a proposal to suspend California’s 2006 climate law, is getting hotter, and groups in favor of cutting California’s carbon output are outgunning their oil industry-led opposition.

The effort to defeat Prop. 23 – and thus continue California’s effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 – has raised $29.9 million as of Oct. 16, according to data compiled by MAPlight.org, a non-profit that tracks California political spending. That sum dwarfs the $9.1 million contributed to the effort to pass Prop. 23 and suspend the state’s mandated CO2 reduction effort.

Congress’s failure to pass a nationwide climate change law has also made defending the California climate measure a top priority for environmental groups. The fight over Prop. 23 also highlights the divide in California’s economy between energy intensive, resource industries and the more green-minded magnates of Hollywood and Silicon Valley.

Prominent among the donors in support of Prop. 23 are oil refiners Valero Services Inc. and Tesoro Companies, as well as forestry and transportation companies, according to records collected and analyzed by MAPlight.

On other side: Well known names from the entertainment and technology industries, including “Avatar” director James Cameron, Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates, venture capitalist John Doerr and retired Intel Corp. chief executive Gordon Moore.

The anti-Prop. 23 forces also have the upper hand in the sheer number of groups they’ve formed to defend the state’s climate bill, known as AB 32.

California state campaign finance records show 16 different committees formed to oppose Prop. 23 and one group supporting the suspension of the climate mandate.

The leading committee working to beat Prop. 23, “No on 23-Californians to Stop the Dirty Energy Proposition,” has spent more than $17 million to defeat the measure between Jan. 1 and Oct. 16, and had another $7.8 million left, according to filings with the California Secretary of State’s office.

The largest of the pro-Prop. 23 committees is “Yes on 23 – California Jobs Initiative Committee,” backed by a group of energy, transportation and forestry companies. This committee had spent $6.5 million between Jan. 1 and Oct. 16, and had just under $2.7 million cash on hand, according to state campaign filings.

These figures could change in the final lap headed toward Election Day. Tesoro put another $500,000 into Yes on 23 on Oct. 21, according to a filing highlighted by MAPlight.

The Public Policy Institute of California, in a poll released Oct. 20, says among 1,067 likely voters surveyed, 48% said they’ll vote no, while 37% said they support the measure. Last month, the measure had a 43% to 42% edge, though that was within the poll’s margin of error.

About Washington Wire

Washington Wire is one of the oldest standing features in American journalism. Since the Wire launched on Sept. 20, 1940, the Journal has offered readers an informal look at the capital. Now online, the Wire provides a succession of glimpses at what’s happening behind hot stories and warnings of what to watch for in the days ahead. The Wire is led by Reid J. Epstein, with contributions from the rest of the bureau. Washington Wire now also includes Think Tank, our home for outside analysis from policy and political thinkers.